Cupid Last Wish, Chapter 4

   Chapter 4:

   As the son lies unconscious in the hospital, the daughter goes to look for holy water on the advice of the Reverend Father. Phonuma, who is left alone in the family’s ranch, finds a big mess, because this morning this Inthra, her husband’s sister, who has never been to the hustle and bustle of this ranch, is now carrying a small suitcase and standing in the middle of the house.

   “Hello, Phii Phonn.” Inthra waved her hand gently but Phonuma knew that people like Inthra would not come well.

    “What did you come here for?” she asked in a low voice but worried about her sister-in-law’s big suitcase.

   “I will be accompanying you Phii Phonn. Win is still in the hospital. There’s only Phii Phonn and Lin left here, only 2 women in this ranch, it’s scary. I think I’ll be staying with you for a while.”

   Phonuma was speechless, although Sawin was in charge of this ranch and this ranch was not named Inthra as one of its owners but this single woman was born and grew up here because the field was inherited from her husband’s parents.

   “Where did Lin go? Or she hasn’t woken up yet?” Inthra asked, after ordering her servant to bring her large suitcase up to the previously closed room, it was known that she had returned to retrieve her own room. Before she didn’t dare to step on here ever since Amon, her elder brother passed away, because he had been attacked by Sawin until they couldn’t get in each other’s face.

    “Lin... Went outside…” Phonuma dared to say that her daughter was away and didn’t know when she would return, Inthra is not very trustworthy.

    “Wow! Well that is Phii Phonn well raising your kids, the son is still lying in the ICU, the daughter just got out of the hospital yesterday and wandered outside the house. The car is so wrinkled the brother is marginal and the younger one has only a few abrasions, so problematic.” said Inthra, then glanced at her sister-in-law who still had a calm expression, not knowing how much she would think but at least try to talk.

   “...Half of this ranch is also owned by Win, if Win is not around, it would... undoubtedly belong to Lin.”

    “In, what are you trying to say?” Phonuma endured her sister-in-law’s words, cutting her part in frustration. Inthra not only has a bad mouth but also encourages mothers to look at their sons and daughters divided.

    “Oui! I’m just saying to warn you, I know that Phii Phon raised the children well. Siblings are in love with each other but... Who knows, brothers kill each other because of wealth.” Inthra said that and shrugged her shoulders as if it wasn’t a big deal, pretending not to know how angry the sister-in-law was looking at her with an angry look.

   “If anything, I would like to go for a walk and look at the ranch for a bit, I haven’t been back in a long time. I don’t know what will change, we all know that Win’s turn is a dictator who will die. He could cut off any part and sell it and put the money in his own pocket without telling anyone.” After dropping another bomb, the husband’s sister walked out of the house. Leaving Phonuma to follow with dissatisfaction but unable to do anything.

   …

    Bueng Kan is a small province that is divided from Nong Khai Province, partly bounded by the Mekong River. The people around here are both Thais and Laotians who have crossed over the Mekong River.

   The car rented from the airport drove into the relatively quiet neighborhood of the province, the traffic was thin but still enough to see some rural lifestyle. The houses in this area are also a two-storey shophouse that are planted next to each other, mostly opening the ground floor as a food shop, grocery store, sporting goods store, a monk’s wares shop. The biggest shop is the motorcycle shop on the corner of the intersection they drive past.

    “Is the temple around here?” asked the person beside him, Thapakorn swept his gaze around. while driving slowly down a road that is passable, with the far-left lane used to park on the edge of the footpath.

    “I don’t know, you will have to ask.” Because the technology that they have is unable to tell them the coordinates of the 3rd forest temple they need to go to, so the ancient method is the only option.

   The young man turned his car and parked on the side of the footpath where there was enough space before opening the door and ran down to ask the locals. Sawin only looked at him with concern, it was almost noon. They had just arrived and didn’t know how rare the Third Temple would be, good or bad they might have to stay here one more night. Because he intended that after four o’clock in the afternoon, he would not stop at any temple!

    The cell phone rang awakened, a small white hand reached down and picked up the vibrating phone in the pocket of jeans. The caller is Auntie Saman. A housewife at his ranch Pretty slender eyebrows furrowed together in suspicion. It’s true that Saman, a longtime housewife since both he and Lalin were young, would be close like family but there shouldn’t be a need for her to call at this time.

    “Hello.” he answered the call.

   ‘Khun Lin, something big has happened.’

    “Something big? What’s the matter, what’s wrong with mom?” Now there couldn’t be anything bigger than his body lying at the hospital. The only person in the house who was still in good shape was his mother.

   ‘It’s not Khun Phon, it’s Khun Inthra, she’s been dragging her bags into the house since this morning!’

   “What?! Aunt Inn entered the house?!”

   ‘Yes, she suddenly dragged her bag in and said that the ranch only had Khun Lin and Khun Phon left. So, you’re coming to accompany her, hey she didn’t know you weren't here.’

   “So, mother allowed her to stay?” Sawin asked in frustration, this father’s sister had caused him many fuss and troubles. The time when the patience of the eldest son of Warodom ranch ended was two days after praying at his father’s funeral. Inthra kept asking about his will while the monk was praying. Sawin still remembers that day when he cursed this relative so badly that the monks who were praying had to stop praying and the guests had to help take Inthra out of the temple before the monks started praying again.

   ‘What can Khun Phon do? Khun Lin, hurry back. At least don’t let her know that there is only Khun Phon left in the whole house.’ The old housewife’s words caused her big eyes to glance out of the car window, Thapakorn was asking for directions from the villagers. Tell them to ask the way to the 3rd temple.

   ... This is only the 3rd temple, there are 4 more temples left. The story about her sister and the story on the ranch gave Sawin a headache…

   ‘Khun Lin... Khun Lin? ...’ Saman’s voice awakened, causing him to turn his attention back to the phone in his hand.

   “I understand and will come back as soon as I can. During this time, I’ll leave you to look at it. If there’s anything, give me a call and don’t let Aunt Inn know I’m not home. That’s all for now.” He cut off the script when he saw Thapakorn walk back to open the car door, a tall figure stepped onto his seat. Sawin decided not to talk about the people at home calling to tell about Inthra, because this story is not about Thapakorn. When one party doesn’t speak, the other doesn’t know. The tall figure did not mind that the person beside him had more problems this time, he shifted gears and took the car straight to the 3rd temple according to the villagers who knew the way with the girl beside him. He sat in silence the entire way as well.

   …

   Saman looked at the phone in her hand suspiciously, Lalin’s words just now sounded strange. Phonuma’s youngest daughter doesn’t speak like Lalin, who is gentle and sweet. She sounds more daring and sharp than Sawin, more importantly she was using the word ‘Ku (a vulgar form of I/me)’.

   ‘…Don’t let Aunt Inn know I am not home.’

   Or perhaps because she had just been in an accident, her brain might have been so traumatized that she could talk strangely.

    The elderly housewife breathed a sigh of relief in concern, in fact she did not agree to let Lalin, who had just been discharged from the hospital, wander in search of holy water wherever Lalin’s mother, Phonuma, was pleased. She, who was just a housewife, could only care and take care of this as best as possible. The late woman was about to move to prepare lunch, a voice sounded behind her.

   “What’s there to eat, Phii Maan?” Saman turned around in shock, Inthra stood with her arms crossed at the frame of the kitchen entrance and stared at her with a calm expression and eyes. Despite the fear that the newcomer might hear what she said to Lalin a moment ago, Saman acted like nothing happened.

   “There’s leftover boiled soup this morning, here’s another vegetable stir-fry. Khun Phon, she eats less, can eat 2 dishes with rice. Inthra, can you eat?” Inthra stretched her lips somewhat dissatisfied with her lunch.

   “I’d rather go out to eat around the hospital, so I can visit Nephew Win too.” Saman looked at the speaker in disbelief. Inthra saw that look and her eyes fluttered openly.

   “You look at me like that, what does that mean?! I am going to visit my nephew, is that wrong?!” Saman didn’t reply, the late rancher’s sister didn’t bother. She shook her head stiffly and walked away, leaving the late housewife to look at him uncomfortably.

   ... Sawin was still unconscious, Lalin didn’t know when she would return home and Inthra still moved in here. What happened to the Warodom ranch that used to be peaceful…

   …

   The car had yet to leave the city limits, Sawin felt a strange sensation in his body, the intermittent throbbing pain in his lower abdomen caused him to bend periodically.

    “What is it, Win?” Thapakorn turned to ask when suddenly the woman sitting beside him bent her hand on her stomach.

    “Can we stop by the gas station? I want to go to the bathroom because I don’t know what my stomach hurts. Sawin then asked to go to the bathroom first.

    The young man driver nodded before taking the car diverted into the gas station. He parked the car in front of the bathroom but before the person beside him opened the door to get out of the car, Thapakorn hurriedly grabbed his arm and emphasized it.

    “Go to the female bathroom this time.”

   The big round eyes looked at him irritably.

    “I know!” A clear but curt voice replied as he yanked his arm out of the grip before he ran into the women’s restroom, Thapakorn looked after him, making sure that ‘Sawin’ won’t scramble into the men’s bathroom like before. slowly turning off the engine, he got out of the car and went to take care of his own business in the bathroom as well.

   When the young man left the bathroom again, he still could not find the person traveling with him. So, he stood and waited in front of the car because he was afraid that the other party wouldn’t recognize the car. He waited for a while but still didn’t see a sign. Thapakorn had a bad impression but before deciding to go find the women’s restroom, the person he was thinking of called him right away.

    The tall figure answered the phone, still didn’t say anything. On the other end of the line, there was a vibrating sound for him to hear.

   ‘Tha... blood... blood is coming out... ‘

    “Huh?”

   ‘I said blood is coming out!’ The voice replied, both panicked and terrified.

    “Where is the bleeding?” he asked back but the other party was silent, this time it was Thapakorn who started to worry.

   “Win, can you hear me? Where is the blood and where is it now?

   ‘In the bathroom... ‘

   “Wait in there I will…”

   ‘No, no… I… I mean… I mean the blood over there... ‘

   “And…over there, where is it?!” Thapakorn asked impatiently, quickly stepped back to the bathroom but had not yet reached. At the end of the call, there was a faint reply.

   ‘... period...’ The long legs that were stumbling to the point that they almost fell over.

    “Huh?!”

    ‘I said... Probably... um... monthly bleeding...’ This time, the young man even raised his hand to his forehead.

    ‘What should I do? It... it comes out non-stop...’ The question from the other end of the line made Thapakorn swallow a huge saliva. Trying to figure out how to help ‘Sawin’.

    “Calm down first... Uh... you wait in there, don’t go out. I’ll be right back.

   ‘Where are you going?! Are you going to leave me?! You are evil! Don’t let me leave, you ass. Even if your life is a hundred. I will...’

    “Don’t curse. I’m not going to leave you, I’m just going to buy something for you.” The young man’s toes headed towards the convenience store instead.

   ‘For me? What’s that?’

    “Tampons, that’s it.” and before the other person was conscious Thapakorn cut the call and stepped into the cold air-conditioned convenience store but his sweat turned into granules.

   Since he was born, he never thought that he had to buy tampons for anyone. Most importantly... That person is ‘Sawin’.

   ... If I choose it and he doesn’t like it. Will he bite my head!

   …

   Thapakorn thinks that women’s lipsticks are already abundant but there are many same colors. What shocked him was that it is no different from tampons. The young man swept his gaze across the shelf full of various brands of tampons and his head was dizzy.

   ...So, which one should I buy?!

    A poor young man will buy it himself. He looked left and right, saw a female customer of the shop standing not far away, choosing snacks and immediately rushed towards her.

    “Excuse me…” he said. The girl turned to look at the voice.

    “Is… is… help me choose… Uh... stuff... uh... stuff I’m going to buy for my female friend... Uh... female friend... Well... Well, I don’t know how to choose…” As soon as he was stared, Thapakorn became disconcerted. He was speechless about coming to buy tampons, not embarrassed but feeling strangely embarrassed.

    “For?” asked the woman who had been asked for help but saw the young man’s shy expression that he would come. ‘Buy something for a female friend,’ she would understand.

    “Oh... you want to buy some bread.”

   “It’s not bread, that is... um... I mean...”

    “You mean tampons, right?” said the woman, laughing softly. Thapakorn hesitated a bit but nodded.

   “Then I will help you choose.” She continued and walked to the tampon rack, a tall young man who could only walk slyly.

    “Does it come a lot or come a little? Is it coming on the first day?” Then the woman turned to ask one of the hardest questions in Thapakorn’s life.

    “What?”

   “I mean a lot or a few periods? Do you know if your girlfriend, uh... your female friend uses a long or a short one? winged or wingless.” What is long or short and what is winged or wingless? Thapakorn was stunned, his face filled with a nervous smile.

    “You don’t seem to know.”

   “Y... yes... uh... I don’t know…” And he believed that the person who was waiting in the bathroom and his period was coming, at this moment did not know that his own body Used would be, ‘come a lot’ or ‘come a little’ and should be ‘long’ or ‘short’, ‘winged’ or ‘wingless’.

   “Then let’s get the long and winged one first, so that it doesn’t mess up.” said the woman and took a packet of tampons and gave it to him.

    “Thank you very much.” The young man accepted, bowing his head in lieu of thanks one more time before hurriedly walking straight to pay and holding a bag, and ran towards the women’s bathroom where the person walked in and out almost all the time. The young man had no other choice, because if he had ventured into it, he would have been lynched by a young woman who was serving the service. In the end, I had to ask a woman who was going to go to the bathroom for help.

    “Sorry. I’m going to give this to my female friend in the bathroom.” he said, then opened the tampon-wrapped bag for the woman to look at. The other party looked at him with a laugh but seemed to understand.

    “Which room is your friend in?”

    “I don’t know either.”

   “What is your friend’s name? I’ll shout for you.

    “Name is Win”

    “Okay.” Thapakorn handed a sanitary bag wrapped in a tampon for women to carry into the bathroom. As he was standing outside waiting, he heard her shouting the name ‘Khun Win’ a few times and then went silent, guessing that the item should have reached Sawin’s hand.

    The young man stood and waited for a moment. The woman he put the tampon in walked out. Thapakorn bowed his head one more time and she smiled at me.

   “Your friend seems to have a stomachache, I open the door and her face is pale. Get something hot to eat or buy a hot compress and stick it to her stomach, it will be better.” She kindly suggested.

    “Thank you very much.” He waved his hand again. The woman then walked away to the car. As he stood and waited for a while, a fragile woman came out of the bathroom.

    “Win…” He hurriedly approached, the sweet face that during the two days they were together was always sullen, today has turned pale and bloodless.

    “How are you?” he asked with concern. Big round eyes shone with exhaustion that Thapakorn was stunned.

    “Stomach ache…” The reply sounded so faint that it was pitiful.

    “Let’s go back to the car, can you walk?”

    “Mmmh.” The answer seemed to be okay but when he stepped on his feet slowly, not like being impatient, the tall figure couldn’t help but support him, if it was another time Sawin would have relegated this help but because of his stomach ache right now he had no strength to even pull out of his arms around him can only let go and follow and let the other party take him all the way to the car.

    A thin figure sank into the car seat but the pale face and tortured expression made Thapakorn uneasy. He decided to pick up the phone and call a close friend like Chanonn who might be able to give some advice.

    “Nonn... If you have menstrual cramps, can you take some pills?” He lowered his voice as soon as the other person answered the phone.

   ‘What are you asking?!’

   “I asked if menstrual cramps, what should I eat?”

   ‘Why are you asking?!’

    “Win menstruation.” Thapakorn snorted back and of course because he was still standing beside the seat where Sawin was curled up. The person who had menstruation heard it without a doubt, only those big, tired and weak eyes suddenly glanced.

   “I don’t have periods, Lin’s body has!” Despite the pain in his stomach, Sawin still managed to exert himself. Thapakorn rolled his eyes and insulted at the stomach ache until he was almost exhausted but he hadn’t given up before turning his attention to the other end of the line.

   “What…Nonn?”

   ‘He can take paracetamol.’

   “Okay, I’ll go buy paracetamol for it, that’s all.” Then he cut off the call from his best friend, bent down to tell the man who was going through a big fate in his life, ‘Man’.”

   “I’ll go get you some medicine, Nonn said you can take some paracetamol…”

    “Don’t buy! I will not take them!”

   “How can you not take it! Your stomach hurts so bad!”

   “But Lin never ate it!” Sawin remembered that his sister had menstrual cramps to the point of having to leave school but the girl never took painkillers. He had asked the reason for compulsion but Lalin insisted that if you take painkillers next time, you will need to take more because the pain will increase even more.

    “Lin doesn’t take them, so why don’t you take them?” Thapakorn still doesn’t understand. Hey, Chanonn the doctor has confirmed that he can take painkillers but Sawin is so stubborn that his face turns pale.

   “Like you said, this is Lin’s body, not mine. Lin used to say that if you eat it once, you have to eat it next time and the next time it will hurt more. Since she was born after this my sister came back to use this body and my menstruation pains more, isn’t my sister bad?” The person who was listening was stunned at the person’s reason for accepting the pain. The only reason for this was that when it came time to return the body to his sister, Sawin would do his best, he understood the idea.

    The tall figure sighed softly.

   “So, you will endure this, Win?” he asked with concern, the body belonged to Lalin but this time Sawin who was in Lalin’s body was going to bear all the pain all his life’ man. ‘ . In the past, no one would have expected that such a strong person like Sawin would have to suffer the extreme pain of using a woman’s body.

   “I’m fine. You can come and drive so we can continue to get holy water. I have to hurry home.” Inthra moved into the Warodom ranch. He couldn’t have been roaming outside for much longer. At least he returned to show himself as still in Tha’s house, ‘Lalin’ Inthra might be somewhat considerate.

    Thapakorn looked at the person who used a little strength to push him out of the door and reached out to pull the car door shut to encourage him to continue driving but the thin figure curled into the seat made him unbearable. The young man walked back into the convenience store again.

   …

    Fragrant hot cocoa was sent in front of the person whose stomach was hurting until he lifted his knees to sit and hugged him, big round eyes turned to look at the large hand holding the cup sent to him in disbelief.

   “The sister who helped me pick the tampons told me that it would be better to eat hot food.”

   “And this is a hot compress, it should help.” Thapakorn bought things as advised. Sawin took it and looked at it but frowned.

    “Will a sheet like this matter?”

    “Try it first! You don’t take pills, let’s try this method.” The young man said so before reaching into the back seat and taking out his jacket and handing it over to him.

   “Oh, the back of the cover said that it should be attached to the underwear. You cover yourself with my shirt and attach it, follow what it says on the cover. Seeing that it was a heating pad, the store employee said it was available and I’ll try to find a hot water bag for you.” Thapakorn finished speaking and turned to start the car to take the small car out of the gas station and leave the body thin. Some of them hold a cup of hot cocoa in hand. on the other hand holding a hot compress His jacket was draped over his lap.

   The round eyes only glanced at the talker who gave him everything, like childhood, whether the other party agrees with his heroic act or not but is always by his side.

   ... this time, although it wasn’t his heroic act but Thapakorn still... he is by his side as before...

   …

   After taking the hot cocoa and hot compress, the young man’s side did not make any sound. Thapakorn turned to look again and saw a thin figure of a young woman curled up on the cushion with his jacket wrapped around him. The young man sighed softly, since knowing ‘Sawin’ he had never seen the other person in such an exhausted state. He always had a lot of strength but in the body of his fragile sister ‘Sawin’, the strong man became so fragile that even himself would not have expected.

    Sharp eyes glanced out of the car window, on both sides of the road that almost no cars ran around, there were rubber farms alternating with rice fields. Bueng Kan is a province that is rich in water. Therefore, although any part of the Northeast is dry, here it is always green and rainy and now it is like the sky that used to be bright is beginning to cloud.

   Thapakorn sighed again, the person beside him was sick and the rain seemed to be about to fall. Well, they still had no sign of finding the temple, so he finally decided to turn the car back into town. At least go check in the hotel for the night and let the sick person beside him rest in peace, then come out to the temple again tomorrow would be the best option.

   …

   The hotel at Bueng Kan was booked through the internet in advance, Thapakorn just had the duty to check in. Of course, he originally booked 2 rooms like the previous hotel but because the person who accompanied him was so sick, his heart was too worried to let him sleep alone.

   After checking in and returning more than 1 room, the young man walked back to the car parked in front of the hotel. He had the young woman lie down here with the windows open slightly for ventilation and even with the engine off the patient was too tired to wake up. Thapakorn opened the car door and looked at the pale figure of the person who still covered his body with his jacket.

   “Win wake up, Win.” he called out loudly but made the sleeping person open their eyes.

    “Have you reached the temple?”

    “No, this is the hotel where we are going to sleep tonight.” Only then, big round eyes glanced at the speaker with a suspicious look.

   “It’s going to rain on the way and it's desolate, so we go back to the hotel first. Let’s talk again tomorrow.” The word ‘desolate’, immediately made the person afraid of supernatural things to understand, the face was sweet but pale, almost bloodless, nodding in acknowledgement.

   “Go to sleep in the room, I checked in. Can you get up?” Even though he asked, the big hand reached out and grabbed the small arm and grabbed it.

    “Mmmh.” and although he replied that he could, Sawin was willing to let the other party quietly support him out of the car but when Thapakorn would lead him to the hotel empty-handed, the person who had been silent since getting out of the car raised a question quickly.

   “What about the clothes bag?”

    “Wait a minute and get it down again.”

   “Does that mean you’re going to take me upstairs and then you come down and get your bags?! no way! I’m not waiting in a room alone!” Old Sawin, even with menstrual cramps can’t curb one’s fear of ghosts. Thapakorn sighed softly before answering in a flat tone but his heart was more than half tired.

   “What hand should I carry the bag with?” he said, lowering his gaze to look at the hand that was helping the sick person. the big round eyes glanced at him, before quickly holding himself back from the two young men's hands.”

   “I can walk. You go carry your bags and go up to the room together.” The tall figure was too lazy to talk, so he walked over to open the trunk lid and picked up their bags. Two people came out and then the number one person who was sick but scared of ghosts was the number one person in his life, so he agreed to walk into the hotel but was fine.

   …

   A simple dinner at Warodom ranch was set to the table, Phonuma returned from the hospital after visiting her unconscious son. As for Inthra, in the afternoon she stopped by for lunch and claimed to visit nephew at the hospital, but she didn’t come back. Phonuma also didn’t see her husband’s sister at the hospital.

   “She’s probably going out to eat, let’s get some rice, Phii Maan.” Phonuma concludes by herself when it’s dinner time but Inthra hasn’t returned to the ranch yet.

   Saman was about to put some rice on a plate but a tense voice rang out in the dining room first.

   “Ouch! I came back just in time! I’ve bought a lot of rice, I’m going to give Lin a lot to eat and Lin.” Inthra finished speaking and looked around the dining room but couldn’t find a nephew who had been discharged from the hospital.

   Phonuma and Saman were silent for a bit before Lalin’s mother gave an answer.

    “Lin hasn’t returned yet”

    “Not back yet?! She just got out of the hospital and roamed and didn’t go home and went back to the channel?! This is interesting, Phii Phonn. Nephew Win still sleeps like a vegetable at the hospital. Instead of Lin, she went to see her brother’s sickness. Or at least go out to check the ranch instead but disappear from the house like this, I don’t know whether to go to a party to celebrate independence or not. She’s been in Nephew Win’s cage for a long time, now’s a golden opportunity!” Each of Inthra's words weren’t good, both Phonuma and Saman were uncomfortable with their slanderous words but could only be patient, because of each other. They didn’t want Inthra to know that this time Lalin had to go find holy water on the advice of the Father, not knowing when she would return.

    “Or if I follow her, is it good?”

    “No need.” Phonuma suppressed her voice, before calming herself down, normalizing her voice, “... Lin will be back soon.”

   “When will she return, what time is it? or will return tomorrow morning.”

   “Inn, Lin is a grown woman, she knows when you should go home, I think you eat, so you can rest.” Inthra shook her head.

   “I can’t rest, I moved in here because I’m here to help. Nephew Win lay still like that, not knowing when to wake up. Here only Phii Phonn and 2 Lin are left, how can they take care of the whole ranch? Phii Phonn you can trust me, in the past when Phii Amon was still alive, I helped a lot with Amon’s work, I remember what part I had to take care of.” Inthra’s words made Phonuma And Saman froze, her eyes widening in shock.

   ... Inthra is not just coming to live here but is thinking about taking care of the whole ranch instead of Sawin!

  

   ……

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